Salon.com > this is 40

Lena Dunham and Judd Apatow on why “Girls” is like “This Is 40″

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:50:00 +0000

In an intimate online conversation published in FastCompany, "Girls" creator Lena Dunham and the show's executive producer, Judd Apatow, revealed details about their working relationship and what they learn from each other. Though littered with interesting asides ("Sometimes I'll say something profound," says Apatow of his direction on the show, "like, 'Maybe we should show Peter Scolari's penis'") and observations (Apatow explains: "This type of show is an auteur's vision. It isn't collaborative in the same way as other shows. We are probably closer to 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' than we are to something like 'Friends'"), it's mostly a lovefest between the two comedy stars.

After agreeing that they work well together, Dunham asked if Apatow tries to get input from the cast members in his latest movie, "This Is 40," a slice of life comedy starring his wife, Leslie Mann, their children and Paul Rudd. The process, he said, starts with "a very intimate conversation over several years about how we feel about our lives, pitching scenes for our characters. What we're really doing is having a conversation with each other, one that's easier to have than if we, say, were talking about the characters."

Defending Judd Apatow’s midlife crisis

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:05:00 +0000

In the first week of its release on Dec. 21, "This Is 40” has been met with poor box-office sales and middling reviews, with many critics branding Judd Apatow's latest as sloppy, overlong, self-indulgent claptrap. Both receptions are a shame, since "40” marks not only a continuation of the filmmaker’s creative evolution but also a culmination of what has been most compelling in comedy over the past couple of years. With its unflinching honesty, ruthless candor, and fascination with uneasy truth over pat payoffs, Apatow’s latest feels less like his previous work and more like a 132-minute episode of "Louie." Sure, the aesthetic is markedly different — "This Is 40” has the gloss of slick studio product — but the spirit and sensibility are the same: It's a stark autobiography and uncomfortable confession, where laughter is the casual byproduct of situation and personality (rather than the other way around) and dramatic beats ring painfully true.

Judd Apatow fights with MSNBC host on Twitter

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Last night, MSNBC host Touré slammed Judd Apatow's new comedy, "This Is 40," with a short tweet, saying "Warning: 'This Is 40' is a horrible mess with a meandering plot and few laughs and characters who are hard to like. What happened?" Apatow noticed it immediately, however, and fired back an insult, prompting Touré to back down:

[embed_tweet id="284154790898982912"]

[embed_tweet id="284155740199993345"]

A guy named Bruce then butted in, and Apatow unleashed his sardonic wit on him, too:

[embed_tweet id="284159085232930817"]

For the next several hours, Apatow tweeted and retweeted reviews of "This Is 40," throwing in wisecracks at those who dared to insult him:

[embed_tweet id="284158842382729216"]

[embed_tweet id="284096693610364929"]

[embed_tweet id="284091194810716160"]

So, what is the main takeaway from all of this?:

[embed_tweet id="284158693426212864"]